NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt women’s basketball coach Shea Ralph has agreed to a contract extension after leading the Commodores to the Sweet 16 and earning Associated Press Coach of the Year honors.
Terms of Ralph’s extension were not announced by the private university.
“[She] is the right leader to keep elevating our women’s basketball program while inspiring our broader community as we set the standard for women’s athletics,” athletic director Candice Storey Lee said. “Her well-deserved recognition only reinforces what we see every day — she makes teams better, empowers women and brings people together.”
Ralph led a team that returned only one starter to the most successful season in school history.
Vanderbilt went 29-5, with 13 of those wins coming in the regular season against a rugged SEC schedule, to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, where the Commodores reached the Sweet 16.
Average attendance at Memorial Gym also went up nearly 100% this season compared to the last full season before Ralph was hired. In her five seasons, she has taken Vanderbilt to three straight NCAA tournaments, ending the program’s 10-year drought.
Ralph recruited All-American Mikayla Blakes, who was the SEC player of the year, and SEC freshman of the year Aubrey Galvan.
“When I arrived in Nashville, I said it felt like it was only the beginning of something incredible,” Ralph said. “And as much growth as we’ve had, the best part of being at Vanderbilt is I still feel that way every day.”
